Tag: cooking (page 6 of 9)

January 8, 2013 / 0 Comments

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to work we go….

We go back to school today and after such a long break, I am not sure I am ready. I just need a few more days in my house, hanging out, reorganizing and listening to good music with my Christmas lights on.

I can’t bear to take my lights down yet, so they will be up a little while longer, it is so nice as the nights close in early to have the den filled with the twinkle and glow of lights, it makes it a happier space.

We have already completed a few reorganizing projects since we have gotten back from the States. We cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and the drawers. We bought some new storage containers to put things in. It is silly, I know, but when I open my drawers now, they just make me happy because everything is in its place. I also de-cluttered one section of my closet and have items to use as dust rags, items to be turned into a sewing project and items that are going to Oxfam.

We tried a new pizza dough recipe Sunday night and it was delicious. I found it on the Annie’s Eats blog and is definitely going in our repertoire of dough recipes. Mr. Michie liked it so much, he cut the crust off a piece, just to eat the crust, he never does that!

I have a few things planned this week, that should make it fly by, but I am already ready for Friday night again, when I can just be with Mr. Michie. I am going to have to wear my pajamas inside out and do a snow dance and pray hard for at least one snow day this term, I am going to need it! Just to have one more day, curled up under blankets with my twinkle lights, Christmas music and a hot chocolate.

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November 11, 2012 / 0 Comments

Sunday

I’m afraid I have no images to share with you today, just words. I spent yesterday wandering around London and doing a little Christmas shopping. It is early to do that I know, but some things I have to get done dearly, so they can be mailed out in plenty of time to arrive at their destinations amongst all the other flurry of Christmas post the mailmen and mail-ladies are busily sorting, stacking, bundling and delivering.

I didn’t do my Christmas window walk yet, but I have heard tell that Harrod’s theme this year is Fairytales, so I can’t wait to see that.

I walked along Marylebone High Street, it is one of my favorite places to shop! I picked up a few things at Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston, popped into Daunt Books and the wonderful Oxfam Book Store. I stopped into Rococo to pick up a little chocolate for a friend and was very kindly given one of my favorites, a chili chocolate truffle by the lovely girl helping me!

As I walked out the brisk air, quickly took the scent of chocolate out of my nostrils, but it came back again the moment, I popped that chili truffle into my mouth, mmmm, heaven sent! I was greedy, I popped the whole thing in at once!

I didn’t make it to Liberty’s, so that is a trip for next time. I wanted to look at some fabric and to go to their Christmas floor, which is always a delight. I did make it to Anthropologie, always a store of happiness, their window was adorably, filled with owls.

I saw the most beautiful sunset yesterday. It was unreal. I wanted to snap a picture for you, but I didn’t bring my camera yesterday and my phone refused to cooperate with me, but I can tell you, if any of you who read me were walking around in London yesterday afternoon and happened to look up, you will know what I am talking about. The buildings were almost black, the sky was violet, pumpkin orange, watermelon pink, daisy yellow, it took my breath away.

Today, we are relaxing, as the next two weeks of school are going to be extremely hectic. I am going to make that butternut squash chili again, Mr. Michie will be working on creating his out of this world guacamole and grading papers in between.

I hope you are well and happy wherever you may be today.

November 6, 2012 / 2 Comments

Roasted Butternut Squash Chili

Mr. Michie and I love to cook with each other. We get caught in a rut at times, not so much in that we aren’t sure what to make, but we go through phases and can’t seem to get enough of a certain thing, for instance a variety of different salads, or soup with different homemade bread recipes we will try. We like trying new things. We were on a guacamole kick during our 1/2 term break and decided to do just that: try something new.

I read Jenny Steffens Hobick blog and she posted the recipes that she made during a recent cooking event that she hosted. One of them was a Roasted Butternut Squash Chili.

It looked and sounded delicious. We decided to try it! As always, it must be the Italian in me, but I made a few moderate changes, I added a whole red pepper, a few more spices, I also completely forgot about the bay leaves and never added them.

It bubbled and stewed away on the stove for hours, filling the house with the most heavenly homey scent. Mr. Michie made his famous guacamole, we piled the chili in bowls, dotted it with mounds of cheese, guacamole and sour cream.

We ceremoniously sat on the couch, with a bowl of tortilla chips, a couple of beers and pressed “play” on It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

It was a very nice evening.

October 17, 2012 / 0 Comments

Munchkin

The past two days, I have felt that I have not had a chance to catch my breath, between school and outside of work activities. Tonight, Mr. Michie and I are getting to eat together.

I have a chicken in the oven, a salad dressed with a delicious raspberry vinegar I found and oil and we are trying pumpkin speltotto, a spin on risotto but made with spelt instead.

Candles are lit, the heat is on, the lights are dimmed, Mumford & Sons is playing through the speakers and we are happy.

I bought my first munchkin today, it made me smile.

September 30, 2012 / 0 Comments

Cinnamon Rolls

I had some left over orange cream cheese frosting from the cake I made on Friday and decided to use it this morning on some cinnamon rolls.

I had a can of croissants in the fridge (I can hear some of you gasp, canned croissants although not as good as a fresh French bakery croissant, are still delicious!) and knew they would be the perfect bread base for my rolls.

This was my own version of “Semi-Homemade” cooking. I melted some butter, brushed the croissants with it, sprinkled over a mixture of sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and a dash of allspice.

Next I rolled them up, but in the opposite direction, so the small point of the triangle was on the inside. When I got to the end, I tucked one of the larger ends up under the bottom and then gently mashed the other side down on my board to form a more traditional cinnamon roll shape.

I baked them till they were done, let them cool slightly and then slathered them with the frosting. Alongside a nice cup of coffee, this was the perfect way to start our Sunday morning.

Hope you are having a nice Sunday morning, wherever you may be today!

September 28, 2012 / 0 Comments

Eat Your Vegetables!

You should always eat your vegetables! I happen to love them, so that isn’t a problem for me. There are always fun ways to have them. For instance, it was a colleagues birthday today and I was asked to make the cake, so I made a carrot cake with orange cream cheese frosting! Now who says you can’t have veggies for dessert?

Have a wonderful weekend!

September 18, 2012 / 3 Comments

Take One

Awhile ago, I saw a sign “pinned” on Pinterest and tucked it away in the back of my mind. This being the 2nd full week of school since our Summer Vacation, I thought I would try it out. I quickly whipped up a sign on Photoshop and printed it out when I got to work.

I liked it. I liked the idea of it. I tore one of the tabs off to get it going and then stuck it to my door. I had some things to do around school at lunch and after returning to my room, I saw a few boys hanging around. I realized later they were hanging around because they had ripped all but one little tab off of my sign.

I suppose, I should have known better, I should have known that the so-called “naughty” kids would do this. But, I refuse to give in to that mentality. I treat all the students the way I wish to be treated. I have made it clear, no matter what happens outside of my room, when you cross my threshold you have a a clean slate with me, until you do something to me.

These so-called “naughty” boys are students I have always treated with respect. I don’t know why it annoyed me so, but seeing all my little tabs torn away, because they were having a laugh, just deflated me. The days seem to be getting longer, so much happened yesterday that this morning it was hard to believe that it was only Tuesday today. ONLY TUESDAY!

It is silly I know to let something so trivial bother me, I think it is just my mood today. I took a chance, I hoped for better. If, one of them, just one of them, got the message, then that is all that really matters, isn’t it? I’ll just keep telling myself that for a little while longer.

I seem to be spinning in all directions at the moment as many of us are. There is always a point in my day when I long for solitude, for 5 minutes that I can call my own. Last night, that solitude came with Mr. Michie. We heated up some Mexican leftovers we had made at the weekend and he made a fresh batch of guacamole. It was the best guacamole I have ever eaten! I couldn’t stop eating it! I am looking forward to my evening, to cooking, to laughing, to recounting the day to one another and simply crashing onto the couch together to just be.

MMMM! Mr. Michie is a GREAT guacamole maker!

March 25, 2012 / 1 Comment

Springing Forward

We “sprung” forward last night and so it suddenly seems did our flowers. We have spent the day, cooking, working, talking, sitting, making red velvet cupcakes with marshmallow cream cheese frosting (mmm!) and tending to our little flowerpots.

Flowers make me happy and they certainly make the cottage feel like we are moving into Spring from the outside, which is a good thing as I can’t say as much for the inside. It is time for a major overhaul, but my major “Spring Cleaning” is going to have to wait till we are on Easter Break, so watch out closets, because I am coming to attack you first!

March 15, 2012 / 1 Comment

Let’s Get Together!

“Let’s get together”, is one of my favorite songs from The Parent Trap. It came on Sunday afternoon right before I started working on Sunday dinner. I kept popping my head around the corner to watch it in between cooking. We made a roast with The Pioneer Woman’s “Crash Potatoes”, a fresh salad and a chocolate fudge cake for Sunday dinner, it was wonderful, if I do say so myself!

I have always been a Hayley Mills fan and this was one of my most beloved movies. The air of nostalgia that surrounds it, the time period, the clothes, the California ranch house, oh, the cast! Hayley Mills, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith as the parent’s. Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello, singing the opening song! It doesn’t get much better than that!

It reminds me of being little. I can remember watching this movie with my family, all camped out, munching on popcorn, laughing, talking, enjoying each other’s company, just as it should be! Together!

February 13, 2012 / 0 Comments

The Giant Valentine’s Day Round-Up!

I truly love all Holidays. Christmas more than any other holiday holds a truly special place in my heart. But, the magic of Valentine’s is something special and I don’t think you particularly need a Valentine to spend it with, it can be a bunch of friends, a close family member, even just little old Y-O-U. It is about celebrating love and that can be love in whatever form it comes in.

I also love Valentine’s day, because it is a chance to decorate again, I decorate my house for every holiday you see. After taking down my Christmas decorations (Shh! Mine aren’t all down yet, don’t tell anyone, but I still need my twinkle lights up) and the emptiness that your house feels, it is nice to have a chance to fill it up again with the air of festivities, bustling about in the form of pink and white and red.

Below are some Valentine ideas for you, some from things I have come across on Pinterest, others from some of my favorite blogs. Enjoy! (click on the images to be taken to the relevant site, all images copyright, their respective owners)

Cooking:

Serena of the Farm Chicks has created the most adorable cookie flags to decorate your valentine treats. Adorable for classroom party cupcakes!

Jenny has made a lobster mac-n-cheese for a more grown-up Valentine dinner! YUM!

Delicious with a cup of tea, the lovely Susan Branch has made heart shaped orange and chocolate tea biscuits, a lovely way to start the day with your sweetheart over your favorite cuppa.

Sweetopia, shows you how to decorate these adorable Paris inspired cookies! Amour!

Making:

The Purl Bee does it again with these rose clips. Very sweet for a little Valentine’s hair all dressed up for a party.

Create Valentine Day Crackers with Not Martha! A fun idea to decorate your table with.

Eat Drink Chic created invitations for a Valentine Couch Picnic, an inventive way to spend the evening in, a stack of movies and plenty of delicious snacks to share with your sweetie!

Decorating:

Hand dye your own ribbon to decorate your Valentine’s gifts with. A romantic touch for the boy or girl in your life.

While looking into each other’s eyes you can sip your Valentine’s Day punch through decorated straws. What is it about pink and red and white that just shouts happiness?